Tobacco compressing vacuum wheel for continuous cigarette making machine



March 16, 1965 G. GAMBERINI 3,173,424

ToBAcco ooMPREssING VACUUM WHEEL FoacoNTINuoUs CIGARETTEV MAKING MACI-IINEI` Filed Feb. 2, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet l IYN INVENToR GOFFREDO GAMBERINI BY MTORNEY" March 16, 1965 G. GAMBERINI 3,173,424 TOBACCO COMPRESSING VACUUM WHEEL FOR CONTINUOUS CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 2, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR GOFFREDO GAMBERINI ATTORNEY March 16, 1965 G.. GAMBERINI 3,173,424

` ToBAcco coMPREssING vAcuuM WHEEL FOR CONTINUOUS CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Fiied Feb. 2, 1962 4 sheets-sheet s 4o INVENToR GOFFREDO GAMBERINI BY WM ATTORNEY March 16, 1965 G. GAMBERINI 3,173,424

TOBACCO COMPRESSING VACUUM WHEEL FOR CONTINUOUS CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Y i; Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 2, 1962 00 00 0o 00 O0 Q0 .G0 0

0 0G09@ D 0 O00 lNvEN'roR GOFFREDO GAMBERINI BY Z g United States Patent C) s Claims. (ci. 1st-s4) This invention relates in general to continuous process cigarette manufacturing machines, and, more particularly, to that part of cigarette manufacturing machines which forms the continuous cord of tobacco which is wrapped and then cut into single cigarettes.

In certain continuous cigarette manufacturing machines a rain of shredded, carded, graded and selected tobacco falls onto a collecting belt that carries the tobacco to a cigarette rod forming line, otherwise known as, and termed hereinafter a worm forming line. The tobacco on the collecting belt may be transferred to the worrn forming line or an intermediate conveyor belt by means of a suction wheel. A suction wheel presents a cylindrical surface that is permeable to air and through which air is drawn to maintain a suction action. Tobacco is brought to the cylindrical surface of the Wheel by the collecting belt where the tobacco is drawn to the wheel and thus carried to a worm forming line, or an intermediate belt, at which location the suction through the wheel is interrupted and the tobacco is deposited as a continuous cord of tobacco on the worm forming line.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved tobacco pressing and suction Wheel which forms a cord of tobacco with a uniform density to produce cigarettes that are equal in weight.

Another object of this invention is to provide a guide surface at the point where tobacco is transferred from a collecting belt to the top of a suction wheel and means producing an air current directed upward against the guide surface so that tobacco falling from the end of the collecting belt is raised and compressed against the guide surface by the action of the ascending air current.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved tamping plates which cooperate with the suction wheel of a cigarette manufacturing machine to exert a mechanical compression on the layer of tobacco deposited on the suction wheel.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an equalizing brush wheel cooperating with a blade which is substantially tangent to the periphery of the suction wheel to smooth the layer of tobacco held to the suction wheel and thus determine its thickness.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a mo'vably mounted brush wheel which cooperates with a suction Wheel so that the movably mounted brush wheel can be automatically moved away from the suction wheel at regular intervals for a short period of time to form a cord of tobacco on the suction wheel having evenly spaced portions of greater thickness so that the worm formed from this cord of tobacco can be cut through the portions of greater thickness to produce cigarettes having a greater density of tobacco at the ends. u

Additional objects, advantages and features of the invention reside in the construction, arrangements and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invention and its practice as will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical, longitudinal section through the tobacco pressing suction wheel and associated elements;

ICC

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary section taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary end view of the tobacco pressing and suction wheel with some associated elements broken away in section;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially on line 4 4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary section taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary section taken on line 6 6 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary section taken on line '7-7 of FIGURE 1.

In FIG. 4, the tamper, or notched rake, comprising the elements 23, 24, 2S, etc, is not shown as it is better shown to larger scale in FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGURES 1 and 2 show the tobacco distributing belt 1 of a continuous process cigarette manufacturing machine. Belt 1 carries selected, shredded tobacco which falls from belt 1 into the hopper 2. At the bottom of hopper 2 there is disposed in suitable guide members a U-folded collecting belt 3 having an upper run which moves to the left as indicated by arrow F in FIGURE 1.

Referring further to FIGURE 1, spaced below the belt 3 and extending parallel to it is the tobacco worm forming line 4. The worm forming line comprises, as is also shown in FIGURE 4, a conveyor belt 5 that slides on a suitable guide member 6. The side walls 22, which will be later described, extend into the guide member 6 and hold the belt 5 within it. As shown in FIGURE 1I a roll of cigarette paper '7 is fed onto belt 5.

The collecting belt 3, which collects the rain of tobacco from belt 1, carries tobacco to the left as shown in FIG- URE l while belt 5 carries the tobacco to the right. The tobacco is transferred from belt 3 to belt 5 by means of the tobacco pressing and suction wheel, generally designated by the numeral 8, that turns in the direction of the arrows F1. The suction wheel 8 transfers tobacco from the collecting belt 3, or any other equivalent feed belt, to the worm feeding line 5. Wheel S is disposed a very slight distance above belt 5 so that the worm forming line 4 is substantially tangent to its lower surface. The collecting belt 3 extends about the small pulley 49 to end its uppermost run slightly before the surface of wheel 8 and leave a small gap 9 between the belt 3 and the peripheral surface of Wheel 8. An extension of the upper run of belt 3 would substantially form a tangent to the top of Wheel 8.

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 3 and 4, the wheel 8 has a peripheral flange 20 which is perforated with small apertures 10 arranged in rings around the central portion of the ilange which render the flange permeable to the passage of air. The portion of wheel 8 within flange Ztl is connected through a semi-circular passage 11 and one or more ducts 12 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 respectively to a suitable suction pump (not shown) to maintain a partial vacuum within the wheel S. The small apertures 10 extending through the tiange 20 are open to the inside of the wheel 8 and exert a suction about that portion of the periphery of the wheel 8 extending from near the end of belt 3 in the direction of rotation of wheel 8 down to the bottom portion of wheel 8. For the remaining distance about wheel 8, the small apertures 10 are blocked and closed by means of a tixed packing 11S which is arranged inside wheel 8 and forms a substantially air tight seal against the inner surface of ilange 20.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 4, wheel 8 has a shaft 14 rotatably mounted by means of the ball bearings 15 within a iixed tubular support 16. A disk 17 is fixed l to and extends radically outward lfrom the support 16.

@j The disk 17 contains the semicircular passage 11 which is connected by means of the duct or ducts 12 to a suction pump. An annular ring 13 is secured to the right hand face of disc 17, as seen in FIG. 4, and has iixed to it the annular packing 13 and 113 which is made of rubber or other suitable material.

As shown in FIGURE 4, a disk 19 is xed to the right end of the rotating shaft 14 and has secured about it said annular ange 2t) which extends over the packing 13 and 113 of the fixed ring 18. yThe two disks 17 and 19 are positioned apart from each other leaving a space 21 which communicates with the vaccum pump through the ducts 12 and the passage 11. About the space 21 the peripheral flange 20 contains the small apertures 1t). The packaging, or shoe, is arranged in the form of an annular ring, which is atlixed to the right-hand face of fixed ring 18, as shown in FIG. 4. The packing projects only a relatively `short distance to the right of ring 18, as indicated by 13, in FIG. 4, in the region of the wheel through which air is to be drawn through aperatures 1G. Over the portion through which air is not to be drawn, the packing is enlarged to completely cover the apertures in flange 2li as shown at 113 substantially as shown in FIG. 7.

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 3, 4 and 5, the machine is provided with two parallel walls 22 on its front and rear, as seen in FIG. 1. The walls are arranged so that they closely abut the peripheral areas of the wheel ad jacent the apertures 10, as best seen in FIG. 5, and project over the belt 3 as seen in FIG. 1. These walls 22 may be made of rubber, plastic, or other suitable material and they preferably extend about the wheel S. As has been mentioned in connection with FIGURE 4, the walls 22 may terminate below wheel 8 within the guide member 6 to hold the belt 5 within it. A rst guide plate 23 is formed from a channel shaped member which has its sides pivotally journalecl between the Walls 22 by a pin 24. A flexible elastic plate portion 123 extends from the guide plate 23 toward the left, as seen in FIG. 1, and contacts the surface of flange 2?. The elastic plate portion 123 may be formed integrally with the guide plate 23 or it may be fixed to the guide plate 23. Arcuate slots 51 are formed in the side walls 22 and a bolt 52 passes through them and through aligned apertures near the left-hand end of the side plates 50 of the guide plate 23 as seen in FIG. 1. An enlarged head 28 of bolt 52 may be used to tighten bolt 52 and clamp guide plate 23 in a given pivoted position about pin 24. The cover plates t) tend to prevent air leakage through the arcuate slots 51. The end of the elastic plate 123 is made fork shaped with two tongues having a V-shaped notch or the like formed between them.

Since, as shown in FIGURE l, the suction of wheel 8 begins at a point between the end of belt 3 and the uppermost portion of wheel 8, and since the two side walls 22 and the guide plate 23 tends to limit the tlow of air to the wheel from its sides of from above, the suction of wheel i5 to the left of belt 3 as seen in FIG. 1 causes a draft of air to ow upwards through gap 9 between the end of belt 3 andthe surface of wheel 8. This ascending air current, indicated by the arrow F2 in FIGURE 1, acts on tobacco that is being transferred from the collecting belt 3 onto suction wheel S. This air current draws the tobacco upward against the elastic plate or extension 123 before the tobacco is deposited on wheel 8. This favors the uniform distribution of a layer of tobacco on wheel i; since an initial compressing of the tobacco is obtained when it is blown against the elastic plate 123. This compression takes place between the surface of wheel 8 and the underside of the plate 23 after the tobacco is drawn against the underside of the plate. This initial compressing action, which is initiated by the ascending air current F2, can be intensified by causing the collecting belt 3 to move with a speer that is slightly greater than the peripheral speed of wheel S. This speed Lldilferential causes a slight piling up of the tobacco and a thickening of the tobacco stream at the time of its transfer from belt 3 to wheel 8.

As the suction of air through the apertures 10 draws the tobacco downward and hold it on wheel 8, the elastic plate 123 mechanically compresses it. This mechanical compression may easily be adjusted by varying the inclination of plate 23 and thereby its extension 1.23 with respect to the periphery of wheel S. Therefore, as tobacco is deposited on wheel 8 from belt 3, it is first compressed by means of air current FIGURE 2, piling up slightly, as previously stated, against the underside of the plate 23 and then by mechanical pressure by the fork shaped end of the extension 123. As shown in FIGURE 5, the V-shaped form of the notch 4.7 causes air to be sucked through the notch 47 kas indicated by the arrows F3. The divergence of the air currents llowing through notch 47 causes a substantially uniform distribution of the sh eds of tobacco on the surface of wheel 8 between the walls 22.

After the tobacco passes the elastic plate 123, the layer of tobacco on wheel 3 has a definite section and a very uniform density, but the layers of tobacco adjacent to the walls 22 may be less tamped than the central layers. Therefore, if it is desired to produce an even more uniform cord of tobacco, one or more additional guide plates 26 having elastic extensions 125 may be pivotally secured about pins 27. As shown in FIGURE 6, the extension 126 of the guide plate 26 has a fork shaped end containing a notch 48 which becomes wider as it approaches the free end of the extension 125. The extension 126 tamps the edges of the layer of tobacco on wheel 8 and may have its inclination to the periphery of wheel 8 adjusted in the same manner as was the first guide plate 23.

After the tobacco passes the first and second guide plates 23 and 26, it moves past an equalizing or trimming wheel 29. The wheel 29 may be formed with radial pins arranged to extend from a cylinder, or it may be made as a cylindrical brush with metal or plastic bristles. The equalizing wheel 29 preferably cooperates with a blade 30 which, when activated into its operative trimming position is substantially tangent to the position of the outer surfaces of a layer of tobacco of predetermined thickness on Wheel The bristles of trimming wheel 29 smooth the layer of tobacco in front of blade 3) which removes any protruding tobacco shreds. Thus wheel 29 removes any tobacco projecting beyond a desired thickness from the flange 2li. Wheel 29 is enclosed in a container 31. The container 31, as shown in the left portion of FIG. 1, is provided with an opening in its upper right-hand portion which communicates with the wheel 8 about the trimming mechanism, to receive the trimmed tobacco. Tobacco removed by wheel 29 and blade 3l) collects in the bottom of container 31 and is then sucked through tube 32 to again be fed into the cigarette manufacturing machine.

As is further shown in FIGURES l and 3, the trimming brush 29 is rotatably mounted on one end of the bell crank lever 33. A motor 35, by means of belt 34, drives the brush 29. The shaft of motor 35 is aligned with the pivot of bell crank 33 so that wheel 29 may be moved relative to the surface of the suction wheel 8 to vary the thickness of the layer of tobacco adhering to its flange 20. Blade 3% is also mounted on and moves with bell crank 33.

Referring further to FIGURES 1 and 3, the bell crank lever 33 is mounted to pivot about shaft 133. Bell crank 33 is made to swing brush 29 periodically closer to wheel 8 by means of a cam 36 which lifts the roller 37 journalled in an arm of bell crank 33. Suitable slots such as 134 yare provided in the walls of container 31 to permit brush 29 to swing. The bell crank 33 and the roller 37 are lifted against a pressure exerted by the spring loaded tappet 33. The earn 36 is driven by means of a suitable transmission 7" by the periodic rotation of shaft 39 which directlycontrols the devices of the cigarette manufacturing machine which cut the worm so that sections of greater density of the worm, which are created by the motion of equaliz'ing wheel 29 away ,from the layer of tobacco on wheel 8, are cut'throughtheir centers at lthe same time that the worm" is severed into individual cigarettes. This insures that the endsfof the cigarettes are more densely packed than the portion intermediate the ends.

After passing the brush wheel 29, a cord of tobacco of uniform density and a desirable section is held n the wheel 8. As the flange 20 passes beneath the packing 113, the apertures 10 in flange 20 are blocked and the cord of tobacco is deposited on the paper belt 7 supported by the conveyor belt of the worm forming line 4. The two xed walls 22, which surround the wheel 8, preferably extend beyond the lowermost point of wheel 8 or beyond the point at which the cord of tobacco is deposited on the worm forming line. Beyond the point where the cord of tobacco is deposited on the worm forming line, between the Walls 22, there is mounted a wedge shaped scraper 40 which scrapes the peripheral surface of the flange 20 to detach any adhering particles of tobacco. As is further shown in FIGUR'E 1, beyond the scraper 49 there may be placed, between the two walls 22, a tapering, semi-tubular tongue 41, the first element in the rod former, well known in the art.

Within the center of the packing 113, as shown in FIG- URE l, there is formed a space 42 into which air is introduced under pressure from a pipe 43. This air flows outward through the apertures in the fiange 20 to clear them of any particles of tobacco which may have remained within them. These particles of tobacco are collected within an outer housing 44 and then sucked out or merely discharged through the tube 4S.

Attention is directed to the notched rakes 23 and 26 and their associated elements, particularly to rake 23, and its location with respect to the belt 3, the walls 22, the apertures 10 in the flange 20, and to the air channel formed by the disposition of these elements relative one to another. The fast moving belt 3 .and the air stream indicated by the arrow F2 coact to tend to impel the tobacco forwardly and to impact it between the rake and the suction wheel. This air is then drawn through the apertures between the upper end of the shoe 123 and the more densely impacted tobacco near the left-hand end of the rake tynes. At the same time, air is drawn downwardly through the central opening between the tynes and directed downwardly and to the right and left, as seen in FIG. 5, before passing through the apertures 10 tending to smoothen unevenness in the tobacco. It has been found that as a result of this combined action, that is of the belt, the tynes and the two directed air streams, a relatively uniform well compacted layer of tobacco is formed on wheel 8 as it passes to the left beyond rake 23 as seen in FIG. l. Rake 26, acting in the manner indicated for rake 23 in FIG. 5, tends to correct any remaining variations in density and cross section.

While this invention has been described in the best form known, it will nevertheless be understood that this is purely exemplary and that modifications in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, the substitution of materials, and the substitution of equivalents mechanically and otherwise, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention except as it may be more limited in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a continuous process cigarette manufacturing machine having a suction wheel rotating on a horizontal axis, said wheel having also a peripheral rim containing small radial passages providing paths about said rim permeable to the passage of air, means creating a partial vacuum within said rim of said wheel, a stationary packing disposed within said rim blocking the passage of air through said passages about a portion of the circumferwalls extending radially and externally of said wheel and terminating in edge portions relatively slightly spaced from said rim forming a tobacco receiving channel therewith, said side walls being disposed on either side of said small passages through said rim, said first belt having .an upper 'run which, if continued, would be substantially tangent to said rim, said first belt ending and leaving a gap between the end of said first belt and said rim between said side walls, said packing being disposed within said rim and having a portion extending in the direction of rotation of said wheel for a short distance beyond said gap and blocking said apertures through said distance, and a guide member disposed between said side walls above the end of said rst belt and said rim, suction through the apertures in said rim drawing air upward through the gap between the end of said lirst belt and said rim, the air passing through said gap tamping tobacco passing from said first belt to said rim against said guide member.

2. In the combination according to claim 1 wherein said guide member has an elastic plate extending from said guide member, the end of said elastic plate contacting said rim and being substantially tangent to said rim.

3. In the combination according to claim 2 wherein the end of said elastic plate contains a central tapering notch.

4. In a continuous process cigarette manufacturing machine having a suction wheel rotating on a horizontal axis, said wheel having also a peripheral rim containing small radial passages rendering a path about said rim permeable to the passage of air, means creating a partial vacuum within said rirn of said wheel, a stationary packing disposed within said rim blocking the passage of air through said passages about a portion of the circumference of said rim, a first belt conveying tobacco to an upper portion of' said suction wheel, means rotating said wheel away from said first belt, and a second belt at least partially disposed below said suction wheel and conveying a tobacco cord away from said suction wheel, the improvement comprising, a pair of stationary spaced and parallel side walls extending radially and externally of said wheel and terminating in edge portions relatively slightly spaced from said rim forming a tobacco receiving channel therewith, said side walls being disposed on either side of said small passages through said rim, said first belt having an upper run which, if continued, would be substantially tangent to said rim, said first belt ending and leaving a gap ybetween the end of said first belt and said rim between said side walls, said packing ybeing disposed within said rim and having a portion extending in the direction of rotation of said wheel for a short distance beyond said gap and blocking said apertures through said distance, a guide member disposed between said side walls above the end of said first belt and said rim, means for connecting suction through the apertures in said rim and drawing air upward through the gap between the end of said rst belt and said rim, and the air passing through said gap tamping tobacco passing from said first belt to said rim against said guide member, a trimming brush disposed close to the periphery of said rim before said second belt, and means rotating said trimming brush smoothing tobacco on said rim.

5. In the combination according to claim 4 with the addition of a blade disposed against the direction of rotation of said suction wheel and disposed a short distance from the periphery of said rim, said trimming brush rotating against said blade and cooperating with said blade to remove shreds of tobacco protruding beyond a set distance from said rim.

6. In the combination according to claim 4 with the addition of a first elastic plate extending from said guide member, the end of said lirst elastic plate extending between said side Walls, contacting said rim, and being. substantially tangent to said rim.

7. In the combination according to claim 6 with the addition of a second elastic plate disposedv beyond said iirst elastic plate in the direction of rotation of said suction wheel, said second elastic .plate contacting said rim and being substantially tangent to said rim.

8. In the combination according to claim 7 wherein said rst and said second elastic plates contain central tapering notches in the ends of said elastic plates.

References Citedy in thele of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Steller June 9, 1931 Karich Dec. 22, 1931 Dearsley et al Aug. 15, 1939 Muller Apr. 2, 1940 Lanore May 31, 196() Lanore Apr. 24, 1962 Richter July 24, 1962 

4. IN A CONTINUOUS PROCESS CIGARETTE MANUFACTURING MACHINE HAVING A SUCTION WHEEL ROTATING ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS, SAID WHEEL HAVING ALSO A PERIPHERAL RIM CONTAINING SMALL RADIAL PASSAGES RENDERING A PATH ABOUT SAID RIM PERMEABLE TO THE PASSAGE OF AIR, MEANS CREATING A PARTIAL VACUUM WITHIN SAID RIM OF SAID WHEEL, A STATIONARY PACKING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID RIM BLOCKING THE PASSAGE OF AIR THROUGH SAID PASSAGES ABOUT A PORTION OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID RIM, A FIRST BELT CONVEYING TOBACCO TO AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID SECTION WHEEL, MEANS ROTATING SAID WHEEL AWAY FROM SAID FIRST BELT, AND A SECOND BELT AT LEAST PARTIALLY DISPOSED BELOW SAID SECTION WHEEL AND CONVEYING A TOBACCO CORD AWAY FROM SAID SUCTION WHEEL, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, A PAIR OF STATIONARY SPACED AND PARALLEL SIDE WALLS EXTENDING RADIALLY AND EXTERNALLY OF SAID WHEEL AND TERMINATING IN EDGE PORTIONS RELATIVELY SLIGHTLY SPACED FROM SAID RIM FORMING A TOBACCO RECEIVING CHANNEL THEREWITH, SAID SIDE WALLS BEING DISPOSED ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID SMALL PASSAGES THROUGH SAID RIM, SAID FIRST BELT HAVING AN UPPER RUN WHICH, IF CONTINUED, WOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENT TO SAID RIM, SAID FIRST BELT ENDING AND LEAVING A GAP BETWEEN THE END OF SAID FIRST BELT AND SAID RIM BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS, SAID PACKING BEING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID RAM AND HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF SAID WHEEL FOR A SHORT DISTANCE BEYOND SAID 